The pilot did not complete a weight and balance report, which would have alerted him to the extreme aft location of the CofG. While the pilot was aware that the aircraft had an aft CofG, he did not fully appreciate the severity of how far aft the CofGwas. The accident occurred toward the end of a long duty day following a night where the pilot had only three hours of sleep. This, combined with the desire to satisfy customer needs on a flight that was one hour behind schedule, may have caused the pilot to rush the take-off preparations, thereby omitting the weight and balance calculation. The success of the emergency egress of the crew and passengers can be attributed to the low-energy impact of the accident, and probably to the briefing given by the pilot. The aircraft remained in a more or less upright position and was not submerged during the evacuation. This allowed evacuees to easily orientate themselves toward the emergency exits. No one on board the aircraft sustained immobilizing injuries that would hinder escape. Additionally, the exits used during the evacuation were not jammed or blocked and were readily accessible. Finally, the pilot and assistant were able to retain command of the situation and effectively facilitate the evacuation of passengers.Analysis The pilot did not complete a weight and balance report, which would have alerted him to the extreme aft location of the CofG. While the pilot was aware that the aircraft had an aft CofG, he did not fully appreciate the severity of how far aft the CofGwas. The accident occurred toward the end of a long duty day following a night where the pilot had only three hours of sleep. This, combined with the desire to satisfy customer needs on a flight that was one hour behind schedule, may have caused the pilot to rush the take-off preparations, thereby omitting the weight and balance calculation. The success of the emergency egress of the crew and passengers can be attributed to the low-energy impact of the accident, and probably to the briefing given by the pilot. The aircraft remained in a more or less upright position and was not submerged during the evacuation. This allowed evacuees to easily orientate themselves toward the emergency exits. No one on board the aircraft sustained immobilizing injuries that would hinder escape. Additionally, the exits used during the evacuation were not jammed or blocked and were readily accessible. Finally, the pilot and assistant were able to retain command of the situation and effectively facilitate the evacuation of passengers. The aircraft was loaded in such a manner that the CofG was beyond the rearward limit. This resulted in the aircraft's aerodynamic pitch control limitation being exceeded. A weight and balance report was not completed by the pilot prior to departure and, as a consequence, he was unaware of the severity of the aft CofG position.Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors The aircraft was loaded in such a manner that the CofG was beyond the rearward limit. This resulted in the aircraft's aerodynamic pitch control limitation being exceeded. A weight and balance report was not completed by the pilot prior to departure and, as a consequence, he was unaware of the severity of the aft CofG position. The weight of the passengers was underestimated due to the use of standard weights. This increased the potential of inadvertently loading the aircraft in excess of its maximum certified take-off weight.Finding as to Risk The weight of the passengers was underestimated due to the use of standard weights. This increased the potential of inadvertently loading the aircraft in excess of its maximum certified take-off weight. Air Tindi adopted the following action items and policy changes to address the issues identified in the course of the investigation: It will no longer use fuel as ballast to adjust the weight and balance of an aircraft when towing. It increased operational oversight and conducted pilot briefings to ensure weight and balance calculations are completed prior to departure. It adopted and implemented a new procedure for weight and balance calculation. It elected to adjust the Transport Canada standard weights. The standard passenger weights will not be discounted for the lack of carry-on baggage. Adult male passengers will be assigned the standard weight of 200pounds in the summer and 206pounds in the winter. Adult female passengers will be assessed as 165and 171pounds, respectively, for summer and winter weights. The carry-on baggage that is not allowed within the passenger compartment will be weighed as part of the cargo and stowed in the cargo compartment.Safety Action Taken Air Tindi adopted the following action items and policy changes to address the issues identified in the course of the investigation: It will no longer use fuel as ballast to adjust the weight and balance of an aircraft when towing. It increased operational oversight and conducted pilot briefings to ensure weight and balance calculations are completed prior to departure. It adopted and implemented a new procedure for weight and balance calculation. It elected to adjust the Transport Canada standard weights. The standard passenger weights will not be discounted for the lack of carry-on baggage. Adult male passengers will be assigned the standard weight of 200pounds in the summer and 206pounds in the winter. Adult female passengers will be assessed as 165and 171pounds, respectively, for summer and winter weights. The carry-on baggage that is not allowed within the passenger compartment will be weighed as part of the cargo and stowed in the cargo compartment.